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Photo by: Brad Rempel
Gophers Head to Evanston for Final Regular-Season Series
5/15/2024 2:35:00 PM | Baseball
Thursday, May 16
Minnesota at Northwestern
First Pitch: 3:00 p.m. CT
Location: Rocky and Berenice Miller Park
Gophers Starter: RHP Will Semb (1-4, 7.59 ERA, 61.2 IP, 68 K)
Wildcats Starter: TBD
TV: Big Ten+
Friday, May 17
Minnesota at Northwestern
First Pitch: 3:00 p.m. CT
Location: Rocky and Berenice Miller Park
Gophers Starter: LHP Connor Wietgrefe (7-3, 2.88 ERA, 75.0 IP, 71 K)
Wildcats Starter: TBD
TV: Big Ten+
Saturday, May 18
Minnesota at Northwestern
First Pitch: 1:00 p.m. CT
Location: Rocky and Berenice Miller Park
Gophers Starter: TBD
Wildcats Starter: TBD
TV: Big Ten+
MINNEAPOLIS – The Minnesota Golden Gophers baseball team (23-22, 9-12 Big Ten) heads to Evanston, Ill. to take on the Northwestern Wildcats (16-32, 3-18 Big Ten) in their final regular-season series of the 2024 season this weekend.
First pitches will be at 3:00 p.m. on Thursday and Friday, and 1:00 p.m. on Saturday. All games will be streamed on Big Ten+ with live stats available on GopherSports.com.
Last Time Out
-The Gophers kept their playoff hopes alive last weekend with a series win over the Michigan State Spartans.
-After jumping out to an early lead after the first inning on Friday night, the Gophers and Spartans battled back and forth until Michigan State took the lead for good in the seventh inning, winning 6-4.
-The Gophers responded in a big way on Saturday, scoring 21 runs. It was the first time since 2019 that Minnesota scored 20+ runs in a game. Josh Fitzgerald collected five RBI in the game, while Sam Hunt and Weber Neels collected four RBI a piece. All three set new career highs in the category.
-Prior to Saturday's game, the Minnesota baseball team retired No. 14 in honor of head coach John Anderson.
-The Gophers sealed the series victory on Sunday with their largest comeback since 1998. Down 12-2 in the sixth inning, the 'U' scratched one run across in the sixth and one in the seventh to avoid being run-ruled.
-Heading into the bottom of the eighth down 12-4, the Gophers scored six runs on home runs by Perry and Mezzenga, along with an RBI single by Charlie Sutherland to make it 12-10.
-In the bottom of the ninth, Fitzgerald drove in a run on an RBI single before Boston Merila got an RBI ground-out to tie the ballgame. Drew Berkland stepped up to the plate, and with two strikes hit a walk-off three-run home run. It was the first walk-off home run for Minnesota since 2019.
Scouting the Wildcats
-The Northwestern Wildcats are 16-32 (3-18 Big Ten) under first-year head coach Ben Greenspan. After falling in the first two games last weekend at Ohio State, the Wildcats salvaged the series by winning game three 3-1.
-Northwestern is led offensively by Owen McElfatrick who is slashing .295/.370/.549 with 11 home runs, 36 RBI and 40 runs scored.
-Kyle Potthoff leads the Wildcats on the mound with a 3-5 record, 5.09 ERA and 31 strikeouts in 63.2 innings.
-The Wildcats are last in the Big Ten in team ERA, average, OPS, RBI, runs and stolen bases.
Opponent Series History
-Minnesota leads the all-time series 170-84. The two teams last met in 2022 at Siebert Field. Northwestern took two of three from the Gophers in that series.
-Northwestern is 5-4 in the last three meetings against Minnesota. The last series the Gophers won against the Wildcats was in 2019, the last time the two teams faced off in Evanston.
Anderson's Final Ride
-The 2024 season is head coach John Anderson's 43rd and final year leading the Gophers. He announced in December that he will retire at the conclusion of the season.
-Anderson has led Minnesota to 11 Big Ten titles and have made the NCAA Tournament 19 times. He is an eight-time Big Ten Coach of the Year honoree and was named Mideast Region Coach of the Year three times.
-Anderson's career began as a player for the Gophers in 1974 before he became a student assistant from 1976-77 and graduate assistant in 1978. From 1979-81, he served as an assistant coach before being hired as the head coach in '81.
-Minnesota honored Coach Anderson's legacy on Saturday by retiring No. 14 during a pregame ceremony. May 11, 2024 was also declared by Governor Tim Walz as John Anderson Day in the state of Minnesota.
Mezzenga Named Big Ten Player of the Week
-Ike Mezzenga had a big week, slashing .429/.500/1.071 with three home runs, six RBIs and six runs scored to help the Gophers pick up a crucial series win over Michigan State.
-On senior Sunday, he went 3-for-5 with four RBI and two home runs to help spark Minnesota's comeback against the Spartans.
-Mezzenga is the first Gopher to be named Big Ten Player of the Week since 2018.
Historic Final Weekend at Siebert
-The Maroon and Gold tallied 40 runs in three games against Michigan State last weekend, including a whopping 21 on Saturday. It was the first time since April 13, 2018 that the team scored more than 20 runs.
-On Saturday, the Gophers scored at least one run in all eight times to the plate. They tallied five runs in the first inning and six in the fifth inning to break the game open.
-Trailing 12-2 in the sixth inning and threatening to get run ruled, the 'U' strung together their biggest comeback since 1998 on Sunday.
-The team used four home runs, two by Mezzenga and a walkoff by Drew Berkland, to score 11 runs in the final two innings and stun the Spartans.
-Berkland's walk-off home run was the first for Minnesota since April 9, 2019.
Wietgrefe's World
-Junior LHP Connor Wietgrefe became the first Gopher since 2008 to pitch a seven-inning complete game on April 21 against Indiana.
-The Prior Lake, Minn. native pitched another solid outing last Saturday against the Spartans, going 5.2 innings and allowing just one run with five strikeouts.
-In four starts in the month of April, Wietgrefe pitched 24.2 innings, allowing just five runs. He struck out 24 batters and had a 1.82 ERA while picking up four wins. For the month, he held opponents to a .220 average against him and allowed just four extra-base hits.
-The southpaw currently ranks second in the Big Ten in ERA (2.88), tied for second in wins (7), fifth in innings (75.0) and sixth in strikeouts (71). He is one of just eight pitchers to have a complete game in the Big Ten this season.
-D1 Baseball recently ranked Wietgrefe as the No. 94 starting pitcher in the country.
Production at the Top
-Brady Counsell and Jake Perry have been consistent bright spots in the Gophers lineup.
-The duo both rank in the top five in all offensive categories. Counsell leads the team in runs (44), total bases (104), walks (28) and stolen bases (16). Perry leads the team in hits (58), doubles (19) and walks.
-Counsell is slashing .302/.398/.550 while Perry has a line of .304/.396/.524. Both have tallied four three-hit games and two four-hit games. Counsell leads the team with 18 multi-hit games while Perry leads the team with 11 multi-RBI games.
-D1 Baseball recently ranked Counsell as the No. 20 second baseman in the country. He is also currently riding a 20-game on base streak.
Fitzgerald's Breakout Season
-After missing all of the 2023 season due to injury, redshirt junior Josh Fitzgerald has made his impact known in 2024.
-The Mason City, Iowa native is leading the team in average (.355), slugging percentage (.645) and on base percentage (.471). He is third in home runs (9) and RBIs (36), and second in stolen bases (10) despite missing six games.
-Fitzgerald currently ranks second in the Big Ten in OPS (1.116), third in slugging, sixth in on-base percentage, and tenth in average.
-Over the weekend against Michigan State, Fitzgerald slashed .600/.714/.900 in 10 at bats. He tallied six RBI and four runs with one home run.
What's on Deck
-The Big Ten Conference Tournament begins on Tuesday, May 21 in Omaha, Neb. The double-elimination tournament will feature the top eight teams in the Big Ten standings at the conclusion of the regular season.
Minnesota at Northwestern
First Pitch: 3:00 p.m. CT
Location: Rocky and Berenice Miller Park
Gophers Starter: RHP Will Semb (1-4, 7.59 ERA, 61.2 IP, 68 K)
Wildcats Starter: TBD
TV: Big Ten+
Friday, May 17
Minnesota at Northwestern
First Pitch: 3:00 p.m. CT
Location: Rocky and Berenice Miller Park
Gophers Starter: LHP Connor Wietgrefe (7-3, 2.88 ERA, 75.0 IP, 71 K)
Wildcats Starter: TBD
TV: Big Ten+
Saturday, May 18
Minnesota at Northwestern
First Pitch: 1:00 p.m. CT
Location: Rocky and Berenice Miller Park
Gophers Starter: TBD
Wildcats Starter: TBD
TV: Big Ten+
MINNEAPOLIS – The Minnesota Golden Gophers baseball team (23-22, 9-12 Big Ten) heads to Evanston, Ill. to take on the Northwestern Wildcats (16-32, 3-18 Big Ten) in their final regular-season series of the 2024 season this weekend.
First pitches will be at 3:00 p.m. on Thursday and Friday, and 1:00 p.m. on Saturday. All games will be streamed on Big Ten+ with live stats available on GopherSports.com.
Last Time Out
-The Gophers kept their playoff hopes alive last weekend with a series win over the Michigan State Spartans.
-After jumping out to an early lead after the first inning on Friday night, the Gophers and Spartans battled back and forth until Michigan State took the lead for good in the seventh inning, winning 6-4.
-The Gophers responded in a big way on Saturday, scoring 21 runs. It was the first time since 2019 that Minnesota scored 20+ runs in a game. Josh Fitzgerald collected five RBI in the game, while Sam Hunt and Weber Neels collected four RBI a piece. All three set new career highs in the category.
-Prior to Saturday's game, the Minnesota baseball team retired No. 14 in honor of head coach John Anderson.
-The Gophers sealed the series victory on Sunday with their largest comeback since 1998. Down 12-2 in the sixth inning, the 'U' scratched one run across in the sixth and one in the seventh to avoid being run-ruled.
-Heading into the bottom of the eighth down 12-4, the Gophers scored six runs on home runs by Perry and Mezzenga, along with an RBI single by Charlie Sutherland to make it 12-10.
-In the bottom of the ninth, Fitzgerald drove in a run on an RBI single before Boston Merila got an RBI ground-out to tie the ballgame. Drew Berkland stepped up to the plate, and with two strikes hit a walk-off three-run home run. It was the first walk-off home run for Minnesota since 2019.
Scouting the Wildcats
-The Northwestern Wildcats are 16-32 (3-18 Big Ten) under first-year head coach Ben Greenspan. After falling in the first two games last weekend at Ohio State, the Wildcats salvaged the series by winning game three 3-1.
-Northwestern is led offensively by Owen McElfatrick who is slashing .295/.370/.549 with 11 home runs, 36 RBI and 40 runs scored.
-Kyle Potthoff leads the Wildcats on the mound with a 3-5 record, 5.09 ERA and 31 strikeouts in 63.2 innings.
-The Wildcats are last in the Big Ten in team ERA, average, OPS, RBI, runs and stolen bases.
Opponent Series History
-Minnesota leads the all-time series 170-84. The two teams last met in 2022 at Siebert Field. Northwestern took two of three from the Gophers in that series.
-Northwestern is 5-4 in the last three meetings against Minnesota. The last series the Gophers won against the Wildcats was in 2019, the last time the two teams faced off in Evanston.
Anderson's Final Ride
-The 2024 season is head coach John Anderson's 43rd and final year leading the Gophers. He announced in December that he will retire at the conclusion of the season.
-Anderson has led Minnesota to 11 Big Ten titles and have made the NCAA Tournament 19 times. He is an eight-time Big Ten Coach of the Year honoree and was named Mideast Region Coach of the Year three times.
-Anderson's career began as a player for the Gophers in 1974 before he became a student assistant from 1976-77 and graduate assistant in 1978. From 1979-81, he served as an assistant coach before being hired as the head coach in '81.
-Minnesota honored Coach Anderson's legacy on Saturday by retiring No. 14 during a pregame ceremony. May 11, 2024 was also declared by Governor Tim Walz as John Anderson Day in the state of Minnesota.
Mezzenga Named Big Ten Player of the Week
-Ike Mezzenga had a big week, slashing .429/.500/1.071 with three home runs, six RBIs and six runs scored to help the Gophers pick up a crucial series win over Michigan State.
-On senior Sunday, he went 3-for-5 with four RBI and two home runs to help spark Minnesota's comeback against the Spartans.
-Mezzenga is the first Gopher to be named Big Ten Player of the Week since 2018.
Historic Final Weekend at Siebert
-The Maroon and Gold tallied 40 runs in three games against Michigan State last weekend, including a whopping 21 on Saturday. It was the first time since April 13, 2018 that the team scored more than 20 runs.
-On Saturday, the Gophers scored at least one run in all eight times to the plate. They tallied five runs in the first inning and six in the fifth inning to break the game open.
-Trailing 12-2 in the sixth inning and threatening to get run ruled, the 'U' strung together their biggest comeback since 1998 on Sunday.
-The team used four home runs, two by Mezzenga and a walkoff by Drew Berkland, to score 11 runs in the final two innings and stun the Spartans.
-Berkland's walk-off home run was the first for Minnesota since April 9, 2019.
Wietgrefe's World
-Junior LHP Connor Wietgrefe became the first Gopher since 2008 to pitch a seven-inning complete game on April 21 against Indiana.
-The Prior Lake, Minn. native pitched another solid outing last Saturday against the Spartans, going 5.2 innings and allowing just one run with five strikeouts.
-In four starts in the month of April, Wietgrefe pitched 24.2 innings, allowing just five runs. He struck out 24 batters and had a 1.82 ERA while picking up four wins. For the month, he held opponents to a .220 average against him and allowed just four extra-base hits.
-The southpaw currently ranks second in the Big Ten in ERA (2.88), tied for second in wins (7), fifth in innings (75.0) and sixth in strikeouts (71). He is one of just eight pitchers to have a complete game in the Big Ten this season.
-D1 Baseball recently ranked Wietgrefe as the No. 94 starting pitcher in the country.
Production at the Top
-Brady Counsell and Jake Perry have been consistent bright spots in the Gophers lineup.
-The duo both rank in the top five in all offensive categories. Counsell leads the team in runs (44), total bases (104), walks (28) and stolen bases (16). Perry leads the team in hits (58), doubles (19) and walks.
-Counsell is slashing .302/.398/.550 while Perry has a line of .304/.396/.524. Both have tallied four three-hit games and two four-hit games. Counsell leads the team with 18 multi-hit games while Perry leads the team with 11 multi-RBI games.
-D1 Baseball recently ranked Counsell as the No. 20 second baseman in the country. He is also currently riding a 20-game on base streak.
Fitzgerald's Breakout Season
-After missing all of the 2023 season due to injury, redshirt junior Josh Fitzgerald has made his impact known in 2024.
-The Mason City, Iowa native is leading the team in average (.355), slugging percentage (.645) and on base percentage (.471). He is third in home runs (9) and RBIs (36), and second in stolen bases (10) despite missing six games.
-Fitzgerald currently ranks second in the Big Ten in OPS (1.116), third in slugging, sixth in on-base percentage, and tenth in average.
-Over the weekend against Michigan State, Fitzgerald slashed .600/.714/.900 in 10 at bats. He tallied six RBI and four runs with one home run.
What's on Deck
-The Big Ten Conference Tournament begins on Tuesday, May 21 in Omaha, Neb. The double-elimination tournament will feature the top eight teams in the Big Ten standings at the conclusion of the regular season.
First Practice of Fall
Thursday, September 18
Weber Neels Highlights
Wednesday, May 28
Gophers (11) - Michigan State (5) Highlights
Friday, May 16
Gophers (4) - Michigan State (3) Highlights
Thursday, May 15